Strauss comes full circle at Lord's
Published: 15 August 2012

Lord's has played host to some of the defining moments in the career of Andrew Strauss, who plays his 100th Test and 50th as captain at the Home of Cricket against South Africa.

The week leading up to the Lord's Test, which will determine the location of the no.1 Test ranking, has been arguably Strauss' toughest as skipper, with the ongoing Kevin Pietersen saga taking attention away from England's preparation.

Video: Strauss reflects on his 100th appearance

And Strauss admitted the build-up to his 100th Test has not allowed him much time for reflection:

"It's a game to savour and be proud of. We don't have a lot of time over the course of our careers to look back at what we've done - you're always looking ahead to the next game.

"But I'm proud at having stuck around for this long, and hopefully there's a few more Tests to come."

Strauss, one of the earliest graduates of the MCC Universities (opens in a new window) scheme, has played much of his cricket at Lord's, as a Middlesex and England player. Below are some of his more cherished memories.

Debut v New Zealand - 2004

Few England players have announced their arrival in the Test game in more emphatic style than the the 27-year-old did at the Home of Cricket. Coming into the side for the injured captain Michael Vaughan, he cracked an emphatic 112 in his first Test knock in front of his home crowd.

Set a tricky 282 to win the match, Strauss once again set about the Kiwi attack before Nasser Hussain ruined his chances of two tons on debut, famously running out his younger partner 17 runs short. Hussain went on to record a century to win the game, but Strauss' emergence convinced him to call an end to his career after the match.

History v Australia - 2009

After narrowly avoiding defeat in the opening Test of his first Ashes Test as skipper, things couldn't have gone any better for Strauss back at HQ.

He and Alastair Cook took perfect advantage of a good toss to win, setting about Australia in a 196-run partnership. Strauss was the dominant of the pair, top-scoring with a magnificent 161. The innings set-up England's first Ashes win at Lord's in 77 years, as Andrew Flintoff defied his injury-ravaged body to bowl the hosts to an almost perfect victory.

Century v West Indies - 2012

A more low key moment, but Strauss' first century since the Ashes tour of 2010 came at a perfect time to convince critics that the 35-year-old still has what it takes to make Test match runs.

The West Indies were far from the most challenging attack Strauss has played, but the relief at getting back on the Honours Boards for a third time, three years since his last effort, was cear to see.

Only time will tell if it proves a long-term reigniting of his Test career, or a last Lord's hurrah, but the public at the Home of Cricket will remember Strauss as one of England's finest.